In recent years, one of the NFL’s most high-profile divisions has become something of a snoozer as two teams have steamrolled their division counterparts. The NFC East has been ruled by the Cowboys and Eagles in recent seasons, with both teams positioning themselves behind their quarterbacks to stay relevant in the playoffs. However, for the first time in years, there is a small window for the Giants and Commanders to make some progress within the division. The Cowboys have become a little vulnerable on the field after a quiet offseason, making them deadly enough for one of the perennial bottom dwellers to strike.
Now, even if the Cowboys haven’t made many moves this offseason, it would still be a bit of a bummer if they actually lost to the Giants or Commanders this season in the NFC East. They still have the division’s best quarterback in Dak Prescott, and a non-quarterback duo of edge rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will always give them a chance to win any game. That’s assuming Dallas reaches a deal with Lamb, who sat out minicamp this month. This has become an incredibly unwieldy list. The Cowboys need some younger players to develop a lot over the summer to stay strong in their fight against the Eagles, but as things stand – Dallas is affordable.
Not only can Dallas be caught this year, but what happens this year in the NFC East will go a long way in deciding exactly how far they get in the division in the coming years. It’s been said ad nauseam, but the team has Prescott with one year left on his contract, giving the Cowboys some flexibility for the future if this season doesn’t go as well as they hope. This also opens a window for Giants and Commanders to come in and, frankly, stop being losers.
As for which bottom dweller has the best chance of actually beating Dallas that season? It’s a little difficult to analyze who is better, but the Giants seem like the best bet based on some of the talent they were able to acquire this offseason. Dexter Lawrence might be the best defensive tackle in the NFL in a post-Aaron Donald world and they just added star edge rusher Brian Burns to join him and Kayvon Thibodeaux up front. As the Giants try to figure out who their offensive playmakers will be for the season, they have a strong core of defensive players to lean on as they try to play their game for the rest of the division. Sixth overall draft pick and wideout Malik Nabers needs to be an offensive force as a rookie for this to be more viable, which is possible given his draft status and talent level.
The Commanders have the rookie quarterback wild card, but if Jayden Daniels is who they think he is, Washington at least finally has the quarterback to pose a threat to Dallas. It’s been tough for the Commanders in that regard the last few years, passing on players like Sam Howell and Taylor Heinicke before pulling the trigger on Daniels. The rookie QB at least has some potential playmakers to help his cause to take down the Cowboys, but it won’t be easy — especially considering the lack of offensive line talent the Commanders have currently assembled.
Neither the Giants nor Commanders will be able to touch the Eagles, barring a historic series of injuries – they are too far ahead. However, they might be able to give the Cowboys a run for their money just because of where the Cowboys find themselves after an offseason of inaction. The NFC East could end up with the Eagles winning the division once again, but second place should have a little more competition than in recent seasons.
Hey, it’s something to look forward to this year as we are inundated with another slate of NFC East primetime games.
